FEDERATION CONVENTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8581, 1 June 1891, Page 5

FEDERATION CONVENTION.

THE FAMOUS NINTH OF APRIL. It is very possible (says 'the Times) that, in the distant future of the British Empire and the English-speaking race there will be few more famous dates than yesterday,'the Oth of April, 1891.- For on that day the Federal Contention sitting at Sydney adopted ; the Bill . establishing a Federal Constitution for 'Australia; and, its work being' done, • the Convention ■ was declared closed. " At present we bub record the fact; its bearing upon/the colonies and the mother ! country will -./form'. the -subject of vmany a future ' discussion. A week ago to-day we published a drafo of the Bill, the chief provisions of which we may now briefly recall; premising, of course, that it is subject to ratification both by the individual colonies and by the Imperial Parliament. • It establishes a Federal Constitution for what is to be henceforth known as the Commonwealth of Australia, to be united under a single Governor-General appointed by tho Crown. The separate colonies to ]bo ; known as States, will each have - its Owh Legislature, ' but they will unite to, form a Parliament for -the, whole Commonwealth, consisting of the orthodox two; Houses, a House of . Representatives and a Senate, the'former chosen by direct election and ; the . latter by the Parliaments of the separate States. It is interesting to learn that the principal debate since the Convention went into committee on the Bill has been on the question of the status of the Senate. There has been a vigorous struggle on the question whether its powers were to : be-co-ordinate with that of the House of Representatives ;on money Bills and taxation, as well ? as on all other questions; and the point has , finallybeen decided ; against the Senate. It may " affirm ior reject, but nob amend" such bills.; i Members of both Houses are ;to» be paid : a salary <\ of t £500 -ayear; and one great question of the future will bo whether this sum will prove enough —if there are to be any payments at all—to attract the best men. The Ministers of the Governor-General are • to be called " The Queen's Ministers of State for the Commonwealth," and are to be seven in number. There is to be a Supreme Court of Australia which, except in questions" involving public interests," is to supersede the jurisdiction at present exercised by the Privy Council; and its ' functions and practices will, wo - suppose, be modelled upon those of the Supreme Court of the United States. It is only to be hoped that, if this court actually comes in to«xistence, its reputation will presently equal that of its American counterpart, and that it will readily realise, and' never fall bolow, the heigh of the duties to which it is called. • , v To the first Parliament of tho :Commonwealth will fall the great and thorny questions which as yet have been put on one side by the diplomacy of Sir Henry Parkes and the other managers of the Convention. The mere adoption of the constitution gives I us tho welcome assurance that the desire for | union is stronger in Australia than the regard for local interests; but it would be foolish to ignore the fact, that these local interests are extremely strong. New .Zealand, indeed, for a long time declined to join the Convention, putting forward some reasons and keeping tyick others that were yet well understood. South Australia is, I very naturally, less wedded to union than are Victoria and New South Wales. It will,' therf, bo nob a little difficult at the onset to compose the difference? that must arise on such a question as that of tho.choice of a capital city and scat of government; and we can foresee a severe struggle within the bounds of decency and good feeling, botween the friends of Molbourne and the friends of Sydney. And when this is settled the leading difficulty of all will remain— of reconciling tho freetraders and the protectionists, and bringing them to agree to I a common policy with regard to other nations. Botween the States of the Commonwealth themselves tho Constitution : provides that there shall be absolute freedom of trade. This, however, is but the condition of affairs that exists in America, arid we know that it does not prevent the passing of a McKinley Bill against the world in general and England in particular. We can but hope for better things in Australia, though it seems almost too much to expect that hero, too, on a point of such vital importance, tho freetrade influence of Sir Henry Parkes should prevail over the protectionism of Victoria and the other colonies. ' But, oven without this, the triumph of that statesman has been remarkable. He. lias carried, within an incredibly short space of time, a constitution which makes Australia one; and to how many other living public men can an achievement of equal greatness be credited? Wo could hare wished that the eminent Victorian, Mr.. .Tames Service, had ; been associated with him in the work for which both of them havo striven so long, bub by Mr. Service's desire ' his name was , not among those of the delegates from .Melbourne. Names of individuals, however, are of comparatively little importance. The groat thing is that/so far as it depends on the Convention of Sydney, the constitution is an accomplished fact. .Wo trust and beliovo that, in the words .of Washington, on , a somewhat similar occasion moro than a century ago, Australian statesmen " have raised a standard to which the wise rind the honest may repair," and that'under that standard tho people of tho Commonwealth, remaining still an integral portion of; tho British Empire, will march forward in a noble, prosperous, and happy career. :